Federal Court Hears About Pregnancy Center Signs

by Karla Dial

Lawyers from the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) were in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals today, arguing for a pregnancy center in Maryland forced to place a sign on its property noting that local government thinks women need to seek help someplace else.

Montgomery County doesn’t require abortion facilities to put any such signs on their buildings, noted ADF attorney Matt Bowman.

A district court put the law on hold last year, but the county appealed the case in an effort to have it enforced.

“Pregnancy care centers offer help and hope to women,” Bowman said. “And they’re being attacked by the abortion industry, using local governments to pass laws making them put up signs to try to scare women away from that real help.”

Bowman said he was pleased with the judges’ questions during the hearing.

“It was encouraging that the judges were questioning the government attorneys about why they would use their power to basically attack the pro-life side of the abortion debate,” he said. “We’re hopeful that these judges will agree the First Amendment means that pro-abortion special interests can’t use the government to force pro-life centers to say pro-abortion messages.”